Hand's Store On Long Beach Island To Stay Open After All

LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP, NJ — Hand's Store is no longer on its way out. Long Beach Island's longtime department store will remain open under new ownership, Hand's announced Saturday.

Hand's Store had been holding an "everything must go" sale. A store manager told The Sandpaper he expected the business to stay open into April.

The news prompted an emotional reaction from many residents and visitors, who know Hand's as a staple of LBI. Hand's Store opened in 1952 and is known for having everything a customer could want or need.

The store will still continue a "winter sale" until March 15. Then they'll begin to restock the shelves March 16 to prepare for summer.

"Please be patient with us during this process it will take some time to get back in fighting shape," the store said in the announcement.

"Thank goodness!!" wrote one patron. "I was just going for a paint brush couldnt find one and said to myself "this is why we need Hands on the island", do not want to make a trip out to home depot or Lowes."

"This is FANTASTIC news!" wrote another. "I had hoped that someone would do this rather than build condos on the property. Hand's was always my "go to" place for almost anything while we are at our shore house."

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